Before Sandy’s run, she reminded me when it was March 15th, not May 15th!!!!
A typical day at the gym. The rowing maching I wanted was in use, but then I remembered that they only use it for a minute or two before they go back to reading their papers.
Then after rowing, I wandered into the weight room where there were towels on every bench but only two benches actually in use, just keeping them in reserve, of course.
Speaking of papers, as Christine explained the other night (and as we had discussed at Alliance Française), what paper you read really says much about who you are, your politics at least.
Liberation, for instance, is Socialist-Communist, Le Canard Enchâine, cynical leftist (perhaps, radical-syndicalist, I’m not sure), Le Monde, centrist-leftist and Figaro, which we read, (as Sandy is doing in the photo) but mostly for the arts and the like, centrist-rightist. It appears from the centre to the left, the French really don’t think much of Sarko, one friend even claiming, without reservation, that he’s a cocaine addict. (Qui sait?) Sarko is causing a stir now by proposing to extend the TGV high-speed train through Aix-en-Provence, beautiful Cezanne (and Zola) country. Much protest about this, sufficient to make them rethink another route along the coast.
Sandy’s unreliable forecast (le Météo) has already been wrong today as it is most days, but more relevant as we are going for another walk, followed by lunch. Natch, calling for no more rain today, it rained.
At the end of our walk, we went to Racines, 8, Passage des Panoramas, www.morethanorganic.com, a fab wine bar, featuring “natural” wine, in the 2nd arr. (Réservation indispendable.) Definitely going back despite our “No Returns” policy.
Came back and checked out the various galleries open as part of Art Saint-Germain des Prés, Les Galeries en Fête, open all weekend. And then off to the church itself where we heard the 66 year old jazz pianist Kenny Barron in a solo concert. Although the church seems to diffuse the sound, you could hear all the notes. And, like last night, he played for 2+ hours with not a note of music in front of him. Formidable!
After a pizza at Del Papa on rue de Buci (Positano’s is better), headed home.
Late evening, way past our bedtime.
-
- The red book is the dictionary, key when reading French, altough I note that Sandy is reading La Tribune (not sure of its politics) that we get free at the gym.
-
- Cour de Rohan, near here.
-
- We see this statue of Georges Danton when we come out of the Odeon Metro station.
-
- Fountain built in 1776; rooms were built above to get a good view of the executions held in the square in front.
-
- Rooms above. The poor guy in front had partially green hair and, sadly, was talking to himself.
-
- Observatory tower at the old Bourse.
-
- The boring new Les Halles, now housing a shopping centre.
-
- St-Eustache Church.
-
- Interior.
-
- L’escargot restaurant on rue Montorgueil. Shannon, note the golden snail on top.
-
- Tour “Jean Sans Peur.” In 1408, “Fearless” John built this tower so he could sleep safely at the top, while his guards slept underneath. He had murdered the king’s brother, for some reason.
-
- The very lively rue Montorgueil, essentially a pedestrian street although cars and trucks have to have passage. We stayed just off this street on rue Mandar for a week a year or so ago.
-
- Stohrer, apparently the oldest pastry shop in Paris.
-
- The also old Au Rocher de Cancale restaurant, home to France’s first restaurant critic.
-
- Statue at the “new” Bourse, opened in 1808!
-
- Passage des Panoramas, lots of shops selling old postcards, stamps, autographs and the like.
-
- Racines.
-
- Passage Jouffroy, another covered arcade, across boulevard Montmartre.
-
- On Faubourg Montmartre.
-
- Inside the church before the concert. No photos allowed later. (I took one at the end of the concert, as others were doing, but it didn’t really come out because of the lighting.)